The 8 best Indian restaurants in Canberra

When labourers arrived in Fiji during the early 20th century, so did the tropical adaptation of Indian cuisine to our plates. Operating for 29 years in Pearce, this family-run venue is an album of comforting and communal dishes that owners Mini Gaundar, Manni Gounder and Parsu Ram enjoyed back home. Coconut becomes the chorus of meals at Rama’s, with broken flakes of ling, cubes of lamb or beef, and jammy pumpkin stewed with astringent tomatoes, paprika and fresh coriander, to finally be softened with a coating of coconut milk. Though it is known for this region to have a milder palette, the fan-favourites still sing with peppery praise – try their radiant signature Fijian pork curry alongside an inseparable glass of mango lassi.

For those devoted to life ‘between-the-bread’, this fusion Indian diner is a maximalist’s dream come true. Running breakfast to dinner six days a week, the Chatkazz kitchen is teamed with seasoned technicians specialised in dal doughnuts, samosa stuffed bread rolls, chutney-dipping toasties, Szechuan vegetable Indo-Chinese wraps, and seven different flavours of paratha. Bread vessels are the vehicles that deliver rebellious flavours, serving Indian classics with a healthy spoonful of defiance. Arriving at the table beside you is a sizzling pan of drenched chips topped with a caramelised paneer stir-fry – is it so surprising then that the menu reads ‘Mumbai Roadside Special’?

Opened in 2019 in Melba, this culinary venture is a true husband-and-wife affair. Seasonality and spice, depth and diversity are the building blocks of chef Ranjit Singh and Suman Kaur’s sensory menu, with crowd-favourites including their papdi chaat of rich fried wafers and cool-spiced yoghurt, an electrifying dal tadka made with golden aromatics, and their signature lamb biryani. Frequented in festive seasons by locals for their gulab jamun (fried and syrup-soaked doughnuts) and kulfi (Indian ice cream), comfort and community are assured to be found with every spice-laced bite of Canberran-Indian cuisine. 

This BYO venue delivering contemporary Indian cuisine has chef Hari Prasad Sharma repeatedly turning unfamiliar classics into family favourites. For those with a vice for spice, Blu Ginger’s designed-to-share menu is a roulette of regionally imported ingredients that up the ante for all street and stewed dishes. You’ll have difficulty deciding between a signature spiced goat kohlapuri (mixed vegetable) masala or the tender lamb braised in a creamy almond pumpkin gravy. But with an extra serving of naan and a build-your-own banquet menu option, there’ll be a dip for every sip at this cherished eatery.

From the minds of two Melbournian telecommunicators, this growing restaurant chain was their answer to the city’s missing dosa – a Southern Indian fermented crepe made of soaked rice and urad dal. Their first venture began three years before Dosa Hut’s inception and twenty venues and counting later, their multi-cuisine menu has arrived at more than a hundred dish selections. Of course, it would be completely amiss not to ogle at a glistening crepe arriving with an array of colourful chutneys, lentil sambars, spicy pickles and yoghurt curds. Chefs Anil Kumar Karpurapu and Praveen Indukuri have travelled widely to perfect their recipes over 17 years, remedying Australia’s reach of Southern Indian cuisine and creperie.

‘Less is more’ is reconsidered at Spice Route Indian Restaurant. Individual notes of India’s spice heritage are honoured with every tribute – infused with the tartness of cumin or warmth of cinnamon - each instrument plays a vital role. Immerse in the harmony of bitter mustard seeds enrobed with coconut milk in their Malabar jhinga prawn dish from the southern coast. Or their canteen-style beef curry featuring fork-tender meats, complemented by peppery coriander seeds and sour tamarind.

India’s global cuisine is the decorated mannequin in the window of Spice Affair. Telling the tale of tradition, influence and legacy, their shared dining experience intends to create a lasting impression of culture and community with every warming mouthful. Mix and match the sweetness of a sultana and cashew-filled Peshawari naan with their eggplant masala as an homage to Middle East influence. Or their clay-oven roti plunged into simmering sauces of pistachio puree and boneless chicken, or even a red-wine-based chicken vindaloo as a nod to French and British colonial history. 

If you’re searching for something rustic and unassuming, this oldie-but-goodie establishment is here to satisfy any home-style cravings. Dating back to 1974, the heart-of-Canberra venue is a budget-friendly dose of Indian classics: golden beef or vegetable samosas to start, an array of spice-mediated curries and tandoori or fish dishes to follow. Their BYO and Taj special set menu has evidently stood the test of time, not to mention ample cooling and sweet condiments to temper every pleasurably onerous mouthful. This long-standing restaurant is a treasure trove to those devoted to assisting family-run businesses but also to preserving generational traditions of Indian home cuisine.